Summary

• Captain Kirk, the ladies' man of Star Trek, used seduction to get his way with humans and aliens alike, but his relationships never lasted.
• From Marta to Dr. Taylor, Kirk had both romantic and platonic female friendships, each unique in their own way on the USS Enterprise.
• Kirk's charm saved the crew's life, but also led to tragic romances like with Miramanee, as he navigated love among the stars.

Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) was known as a ladies' man, and he had quite a few love interests during his time on Star Trek: The Original Series. Never afraid to use seduction as a method of getting his way, Captain Kirk was romantically involved with humans and aliens alike, though none of his relationships ever worked out long-term. Frequently visited by previous loves while captaining the USS Enterprise, Kirk's romantic past was never far behind him, and it got him into trouble as much as it helped him. Even as he got older, Kirk never stopped trying to charm nearly every woman he came across.

In many episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, Captain Kirk encountered a new woman that he tried to put the moves on. No matter which actor was playing Kirk in Star Trek, the Captain's outgoing and seductive personality was a quintessential trait of the character. While he was known as a seducer, there were characters such as Marta the Orion (Yvonne Craig) and the shapeshifter Martia (Iman) who attempted to use his sexuality against him, though they were rebuffed. Alternatively, not every female friendship Kirk had was romantic, as his relationship with Dr. Gillian Taylor (Catherine Hicks) proved in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

16 Eve McHuron (Karen Steele)

Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1, Episode 6 - "Mudd's Women"

Eve McHuron was one of the most tragic characters in Star Trek: The Original Series. As seen in TOS season 1, episode 6, "Mudd's Women," McHuron was given the Venus Drug to enhance her physical beauty and sent by the huckster Harry Mudd (Roger C. Carmel) to seduce Kirk. She realized she was being used and couldn't overcome the actual feelings she had begun to develop for the captain, thus putting her at odds with her employer. She did not end up with Kirk, though she did find a much nicer marriage arrangement that allowed her to leave Harry Mudd behind for good.

The character of Harry Mudd (now played by Rainn Wilson) also appeared in one episode of Star Trek: Short Treks and two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.

15 Helen Noel (Marianna Hill)

Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1, Episode 9 - "Dagger Of The Mind"

Captain Kirk and Dr. Helen Noel's relationship started professionally, but the events of Star Trek: TOS season 1, episode 9, "Dagger of the Mind," perverted them. Kirk and Noel were introduced at a ship function, and though they danced together, there was no outward sign of a relationship brewing. However, when investigating the penal colony on Tantalus, the mind probe was used to try to hypnotize Kirk, and the romantic feelings he had for Noel were used against him. Though the episode features one of the best Captain Kirk quotes, the events of "Dagger of the Mind" soured the potential relationship between these two characters.

14 Lenore Karidian (Barbara Anderson)

Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1, Episode 13 - "The Conscience Of The King"

Desperate to protect her father from his previous crimes, and with an unquenchable desire to perform, Lenore Karidian used Captain Kirk as a pawn in her deadly scheme. Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 13, "The Conscience of the King," saw Kirk's questionable romantic interest completely blind him in a time of crisis. As Lenore continued to eliminate witnesses to her father's crimes, Kirk was unwilling to suspect his new love and was oblivious to the fact that he was being used. Kirk was usually good at balancing his duty and his romances, but the episode "The Conscience of the King" showed a rare exception.

13 Areel Shaw (Joan Marshall)

Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1, Episode 20 - "Court Martial"

Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 20, "Court Martial," was symbolic in that it allowed one of Kirk's former lovers to prosecute him in an important trial. Despite their history, Attorney Areel Shaw was a class act and was fair and balanced to Kirk as he was grilled for the negligent death of a crew member. Their former relationship had ended on a positive note, and the two actually shared a romantic kiss on the bridge of the Enterprise after Kirk was acquitted. The brief reunion and friendship showed the softer side of Kirk.

12 Edith Keeler (Joan Collins)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 28 - "The City On The Edge Of Forever"

Captain Kirk's ill-fated time romance with Sister Edith Keeler broke his heart. During the events of the legendary Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The City on the Edge of Forever," Keeler befriended Kirk and Spock after they were trapped in the 20th century in one of Star Trek's best time travel stories. Kirk and Keeler developed a legitimate connection, but he had to let her die in order to preserve the timeline and save the universe. All of Kirk's romantic relationships ended at some point, but none ended on such a tragic note.

The Guardian of Forever time portal that sends Kirk and Spock back in time reappears in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, which posed a humanoid named Carl (Paul Guilfoyle).

11 Marlena Moreau (Barbara Ann Luna)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 4 - "Mirror, Mirror"

Though they never got together in Star Trek's Prime universe, Kirk's adventure in an alternate timeline in TOS season 2, episode 4, "Mirror, Mirror," opened the door for another romance. In the Prime timeline, Marlena Moreau was a lieutenant in the science department aboard the USS Enterprise, but in the Mirror universe, she was the captain's woman. Star Trek's Mirror universe's history was filled with dark alternatives to the real world, and Mirror Moreau realized that the Kirk she saw in the episode was not her captain. Nevertheless, she still helped him maintain control of the ship and eventually get back to the correct universe.

10 Janet Wallace (Sarah Marshall)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 12 - "The Deadly Years"

Not all of Captain Kirk's former lovers were necessarily still enamored with him. For example, Dr. Janet Wallace, from Star Trek: The Original Series's "The Deadly Years," was a professional scientist with no time for his shenanigans. The pair had previously dated but split on amicable , and Wallace's brief return to the Enterprise allowed her to assist Dr. McCoy in finding a cure for the aging disease that had struck the senior staff. Considering Kirk's hit-or-miss reputation with women on Star Trek, his previous relationship with Wallace actually came in handy.

9 Shahna (Angelique Pettyjohn)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 16 - "The Gamesters of Triskelion"

Captain Kirk's charm was a strong asset that came in handy on numerous occasions, and in Star Trek: TOS season 2, episode 16, "The Gamesters of Triskelion," it saved the crew's life. Caught on a strange planet and forced to perform as gladiators, Kirk and crew were instructed by drill thrall Shahna who was in charge of their training. Charmed by the mercy that Kirk showed her, the Captain took advantage of her affections and was able to escape. Kirk took on Shahna in a duel, which eventually freed all the thralls, but he rejected her when she expressed interest in ing him on the Enterprise's five-year mission through the final frontier.

8 Kelinda (Barbara Bouchet)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 22 - "By Any Other Name"

The Kelvan aliens only appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 22, "By Any Other Name," but their unique species offered an intriguing plot and a chance for Kirk to work his magic once again. Kelinda was one of the Kelvans who took a humanoid form and seized the Enterprise, but her lack of knowledge of human emotions made Kirk's seduction easy. Though she knew he was charming her in order to get his way, she was intrigued by the new sensation and did not resist him. Kirk's actions caused a rift in the Kelvan society, and his skills as a romantic actually helped save the ship.

7 Miramanee (Sabrina Scharf)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 3 - "The Paradise Syndrome"

Miramanee was a native woman on the planet Amerind who actually married Captain Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series season 3, episode 3, "The Paradise Syndrome," because she believed him to be a powerful god. Kirk suffered from amnesia during the episode and lived among the native peoples as a tribal leader, taking Miramanee as his wife. Ignoring the problematic aspects of the episode, Kirk's partnership with Miramanee was one of his most successful pairings, though he was not of a sound mind at the time.